New guinea impatiens plant named balceblico

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct New Guinea impatiens cultivar named Balceblico, characterized by its large light coral flowers, striking bronze foliage with yellow/orange variegation, compact, upright and mounded habit and excellent basal branching.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention comprises a new and distinct New Guineaimpatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name Balceblico.

[0002] The new cultivar was developed by the inventor through acontrolled breeding program during 1997 in Arroyo Grande, Calif. Theobjective of the breeding program was to develop cultivars with numerouslarge flowers, compact to moderate growth habit and excellent basalbranching.

[0003] The female (seed) parent of Balceblico was the proprietaryImpatiens hawkeri cultivar designated 50-4, characterized by its pinkflowers, compact habit and dark green foliage. The male (pollen) parentof Balceblico was the proprietary Impatiens hawkeri cultivar designated1578, characterized by its salmon flowers, compact habit and dark greenvariegated foliage. Balceblico was discovered and selected as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by the inventorin December of 1997.

[0004] Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal or stemcuttings has demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivaras herein described are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0005] It was found that the cultivar of the present invention:

[0006] (a) exhibits large round light coral flowers,

[0007] (b) forms bronze foliage with yellow/orange variegation,

[0008] (c) exhibits a good basal branching character and

[0009] (d) exhibits an upright mounded growth habit.

[0010] The new cultivar of the present invention can be compared toCelebration Deep Coral (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,214). In side by sidecomparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants ofCelebration Deep Coral by the following characteristics: it is foundthat the new cultivar is more compact, has larger flowers that are moreorange in color and different foliage variegation. A detailed comparisoncan be found in Table A.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

[0011] The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it isreasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of thistype, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar.The plants were grown in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The Balceblico cultivar has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such astemperature, light intensity, and day length.

[0013] The chart used in the identification of colors described hereinis the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England. The color values were determined on Aug. 30, 2000 between 9:00and 9:30 am under natural daylight. The plants were produced fromcuttings taken from stock plants and were grown in 10 cm pots undergreenhouse conditions comparable to those used in commercial practicewhile utilizing a soilless growth medium and maintaining temperatures ofapproximately 72° F. during the day and approximately 65° F. during thenight.

[0014] Classification:

[0015]Botanical.— Impatiens hawkeri cultivar Balceblico.

[0016] Parantage: Proprietary seedling 50-4(seed) times. Proprietaryseedling 1578(pollen)

[0017] Propagation:

[0018]Type cutting.—Terminal tip.

[0019]Time to Initiate Roots.—Approximately 7-14 days with the shortertimes generally being experienced in the summer and the longer times inthe winter.

[0020]Time to develop roots.—Approximately 21 days.

[0021]Rooting Habit.—Fibrous, branching.

[0022] Plant description:

[0023]Habit of Growth.—Moderately vigorous with good basal branching. Amature plant, at 8 to 10 weeks after the planting of a rooted cutting,commonly measures approximately 19.6 cm in height and approximately 25.6cm in width.

[0024]Plant Form.—Upright and mounded.

[0025]Foliage.—Leaves are lanceolate, with acuminate apex, attenuatebase and serrate, ciliate margin. Size of mature foliage: approximately8.1 cm in length and approximately 2.5 cm in width. Petiole length isapproximately 6 mm. Color of upper surface of mature leaves: closest to200A at edges, areas of 170A and 167A within the midsection and venationof 187D; lower surface: closest to 187B at edges, 187D in midsection andvenation of 185B.

[0026]Stem.—Color: 187B; Internode length: approximately 4.1 cm.

[0027] Flower description:

[0028]Flowering Habit.—Freely flowering.

[0029]Natural Flowering Season.—Year round in greenhouse environment.Flowering is continuous from spring until fall in the garden.

[0030]Flowers Borne.—Above foliage arising from leaf axils.

[0031]Flower Color.—Upper surface of petals is between 41A & 41B, witheach petal having attachment points of between 60C & 60D with darkestarea at base of lower two petals, forming an “eye”; lower surface ofpetals is between 43D & 44D with base and midvein of 60D.

[0032]Quantity of Flowers.—Approximately 3 flowers and 4 buds per stem.

[0033]Petals.—Number: Five. Shape: Obovate. Size: Superior petal: width-4.2 cm, length- 2.9 cm; lateral petals: length- 3.1 cm, width -2.9 cm.;lower petals: length- 3.9 cm, width- 3.7 cm.

[0034]Flower Diameter.—Approximately 7.2 cm.

[0035]Spur.—Approximately 4.9 cm in length; lighter than 60D in color.

[0036]Peduncle.—Length: Approximately 4.4 cm. Color.

[0037]Reproductive Organs.—Androecium: The anthers are fused togetherforming one organ that surrounds the pistil. Generally, the anthers shedpollen prior to the stigma becoming receptive. The pollen color is 19D,Gynoecium: the stigma color is pale purple, style color is 144A and theovary color is 144A.

[0038]Seed development.—Seed production has not been observed.

[0039]Disease resistance.—Resistance to pathogens has not been observed.TABLE A CELEBRATION CHARACTERISTIC BALCEBLICO DEEP CORAL PLANT HEIGHT19.6 CM 27.1 CM NUMBER OF  8.5  9 BRANCHES BRANCH LENGTH 15.4 CM 23.3 CMBRANCH  .8 CM  .9 CM DIAMETER INTERNODE  4.1 CM  5.8 CM LENGTH BUDLENGTH  2.1 CM  2.2 CM BUD DIAMETER  1.3 CM  1.3 CM PEDUNCLE  4.4 CM 4.9 CM LENGTH FLOWER 11 .2 CM  6.8 CM DIAMETER PETAL COLOR- BETWEEN 41A& 41B 50A FULLY OPENED- WITH “EYE” OF UPPER SURFACE BETWEEN 60C & 60DSPUR LENGTH  4.9 CM  5.2 CM SPUR COLOR LIGHTER THAN 60D 53C MATURE LEAF200A AT EDGES; 187A WITH MIDRIB COLOR-UPPER MIXTURE OF 17OA OF 45B AND19A SURFACE AND 167A WITH VEINATION OF 187D LEAF LENGTH X  8.1 × 2.5 CM 8.4 × 3.5 CM WIDTH PETIOLE LENGTH  .6 CM  .9 CM

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens namedBalceblico substantially as herein shown and described, which: (a)exhibits large round light coral flowers, (b) forms bronze foliage withyellow/orange variegation, (c) exhibits a good basal branching characterand (d) exhibits an upright mounded growth habit.